Lining ditches and the like



y 25, 1932- -w. LERICHE ET AL LINING DITCHES AND THE LIKE Filed March28, 1951 ZSheets-Sheet l INVENTORS N l/Vll/ls Ler/bfle aria /ra 1Beas/ey.

July 26, 1932. w. LERICHE ET AL 1,869,265

LINING DITCHES AND THE LIKE Filed March 28, 1951 2: Sheets-Sheet 2M/lY/IIS Aerie/7e and //a 1 Beas/ey THE/R AITTORNEY Patented July 26,1932 UNITED. snares WILLIS LERICHE, on ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, AND IRAv. BEASLEY, or'Yoxoiv,

OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNORS To CEMENT-GUN CONTRACTING cor/[Panza conronarion OFDELAWARE PATENT OFFICE."

LINING DITGI-IES AND THE LIKE' Application filed March '28, 1931. SerialNo. 526,047.

This invention relates to lining ditches and more particularly to amethod of linlng ditches and means for carrying out the method. Althoughthe invention is particularly adapted for use in lining ditches, itshould be understood that it may be utillzed in connection with theformation'of a layer of cementitious material or the like applied to asupport or backing and containing remforcement in form of openworksheets.

An important application of the invention is in lining circular segmentditches, such as irrigation ditches in which the celnentitious materialis applied directly against the dirt. It is not practicable to useordinary concrete in lining such ditches, inasmuch as the building ofthe necessary forms renders the cost prohibitive. Advantageous use may,however, be made of Gunite composed of cement and sand in the properportions and blown into position by a cement-gun, the

material being hydratedijust prior to its application to the backing orinside surface of the ditch. r l

In lining ditches with material such as fGunite, reinforcing'material inthe form of openwork sheet material, such as wire mesh, is placed in theditch'and straightened along the direction of the ditch. Before applyingthe Gunite it is necessary, due particularly to the slight thickness ofthe Gunite lining, to'positionthe reinforcing sheet material withconsiderable accuracy. Heretoforeit has been general practice to obtainthe-spacing by lifting themesh with a hook and spacing it by eye or byfastening the reinforcing sheet'in positionat intervals by suitablespacing devices secured to the backin as by driving them into theground. Great difficulty has, however been encountered in effecting theproper spacing of the reinforcing material particularly in the lowerpart of the ditch.

An important object of the invention is to provide a method whereby'such,difliculties willbe obviated. A furtherobject of the invention is toprovidemeans for carrying out the method. r

According to a preferred form of carrying out the invention use is madeof a spacer present invention; i I a a Fig.2 1s-a sec-tionalview'takenalong line interposed betweenthe reinforcement and the inner surface ofthe ditch, for example at the bottom of the ditch. This spacer is shapedto conform with the cross section of inner surface ofthe ditch at the.rear of the spacing device, forward movement of the A spacingdevice toseparate it from-the deposit of lining material previously made, and japplication of cementitious material in the area vacated by the" spacer.to bring the lining up to the rear edge of the spacerfin its newposition, this series of steps being re peated as many timesasnecess' ry'inorder to (produce the desired. results. I

therobjects-and advantages will appear upon consideration. of thefollowing de.

scription and of the' drawings, in which:

7 Fig; 1 is a top planview illustratingthe method. oflining a ditchaccording. tothe 2-2 of Fig. 1'; and g Fig.3 is a view illustrating oneform-of spacing and gauging. device.

-Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a completed portion of theliningof a ditch 2 in material 3 such as' the ground. The

finished lining '1 is preferably formed of suit"- ablecementitiousmaterial, such as Gunite, and is reinforced by suitablemeans, here shown as openwork sheet material such, as W1I8 mesh."

Fromthe edge of' the finished lining the V spacing device 5- in the formof aframe of suitable thickness interposed between'the reinforcingmaterial and the bottom of the ditch. The spacingf,orins,.which should correspond in shape with; the bottom of'the ditchand in thickness'with the desired spac 9 ing, is preferably made up of aplurality of round longitudinal members 6 and round r mesh: between. theholding means iandvspacer" inthe proper position:Howevenxasillustransverse members 6a forming a grating with rectangularopenings, all of the members or rods being of the same diameter andbeing connected together in such a manner that the connections between,the rods are of the same thickness as the rods. The spacer maybe ofconsiderablelength and supports the wire. mesh in such a manner as .toassist in pr'eservin its shape against pressure from above. It should beunderstood that the frame may be constructed in other ways, for examplethe frame might be ofplate construction. I

. .F or convenience the wire'mesh 4: is illustrated aseheld atone endbya portion of finished'lining l, but it will be'understood that'instarting the lining of the ditch the wire. mesh may beheldat.thestarting point in anysuitable manner. 1

Assuming that thewire'mesh is held at the starting point by suitablemeans suchas' a section of finishedliningl, the liningof the ditchmaybecarrie'd outin a: manner now to v be described. The :sp'acer' 5isfpositioned with. its rear edge or end a suitable distance from'theholding means tomaintain thewire ltratedrthe wiremesh' extends beyondthe'side edges 'ofthe spacer-5 and the spacing of the wire mesh fromthe-inner surface .of the ditch is obtained bY IHGHIISTOf spacingdevicesThe spacing devices 10. maybe of any suitable form'rbut preferably;'ea-ch'iiofz them includes a shank l llfor'inserti'on init'he'. ground.or other backingtinaterial,-an21ofi'set 1210f considerable'area' whichlimits ;.the insertion of the sh'ank,.and an upperportion l 'which'serves to gauge-the thickness ofithe lining and'by means of a wire'areceivingopening 14 serves to determlne the POSllllOlLlOf the LWHBmesh. Insertion :of' a wire'of the meslr into the opening ltisfacilitated; by-iaislot connecting :the opening with :the edge "ofithegauging portion. -Thespe'cificform .of spacing device-disclosed hereinis described and claimed-Yin our copending:application Serial No.526,046, filed March 28, 1.931.

It should also'vbe understood that I when a desired spacing devicesfsuchaslO', may be used in connection with the part .of- 'th'e' wire mesh atthe rear of "spacing device 5.

Upon completion of the preparatorywork forthisshort section ofthe'ditch; the lining I material is blown against and through-the wiremesh by 7 suitable means such as a cement-gun and this operation iscontinued untilthe Gunite thnsformed'reaches the upper edges or gaugingedges of thegaug- 'ing :port1on-13 or thespacers 10 wherever they areused.

Then the spacingdevicet is advanceda suitable distanceipreparatorytoapplying tweenthe backing and the .isthen prepared as.ibefore with.lthenu'se of spacing'devices such as lOiandLI addition-al cementitious.material applied as before. These steps may be repeated as many times:ias is.necessary. to line the ditch throughout its length. p 7

It. should be iunderstood that various ichan gesmay bemade in the methodof the present invention and that various features may beused'without'others without departing from :the true spirit and 'scopeofthe invention. V v 7 Having .thusdescribed. our invention, we

claim V l. The method of forming .ona backing a layer of cementitiousmaterial or the like containingw a reinforcement? of 'openwork sheetmateriahwhich includes stretching the reinforcement oversaid backing,holding it stretched, moving: a spacin'gidevice between thereinforcement and the backing, and securing the reinforcement inadjusted position behind the spacing" device as' thelatter is advancedpreparatory to theapplication of the ,cementitious 'material to theareavacated by the traveling spacing device.

' :2. The method of forming on a. backing a layer of: cementitious:material. containing a'reinforcement ofope'nwork sheet material,

which includes arranging the reinforcement over saidvbacking, lmoving aspacing d'evice between the reinforcement andithe backing, and applyingIcementitious material to fill the space between the backing andthereinforcement as it is vacated by the traveling spacing deviceand'tocover thereinforcement thereby holding it'in thepositiondeits-rearedge. 7 V

3. The method of forming on a backing 'an-openwork sheet of reinforcingmaterial, whichincludes stretching the sheet over the termined by thespacing device adjacent to layer of cementitious materialcontainingi115.

backing, moving a spacing'device between the sheet and the backing,securing 'the sheet to the'backing at intervals in'thespaced relationdetermined by said spacing device ad- 'jacent to the rear edge thereof,and applying the cementitiousmaterial to fill the space besheet and alsocover the latter.

4. The method of forming'on a backing a layer of cenientitious materialcontaining a reinforcement of. openwork sheet material,

which includes stretching the reinforcement over-.theback ng, moving aspacing"device' between the central part of the reinforcement and thebacking, securing the reinforcement at opposite sides of the path of thespacing device to the backing at intervals in a predetermined spacedrelation corresponding with the spacing determined by said-spacingdevice adjacent to the rear edge thereof, and applying the cementitiousmaterial to fill the space between the backing and the reinforcement andalso cover the latter.

5. The method of forming on a support a layer of cementitious materialof the like containing reinforcement of openwork sheet material, whichincludes placing a sheet of openwork material over said support, plac--ing a spacing device under said sheet adjacent to the point at which theapplication of cementitious material is started, applying cementitiousmaterial substantially up to the rear end of said spacing device,advancing the spacing device to another position, and again applyingcementitious material up to the rear end of the spacing device.

6. The method of forming on a backing a layer of cementitious materialor the like containing reinforcement of openwork sheet material, whichincludes placing reinforcement over said support, placing between saidreinforcement and said backing a spacing device extending part wayacross the reinforcement, applying cementitious material to thereinforcement and backing substantially up to the rear edge of thespacing device, advancing the spacing device along a path extendingalong the reinforcement, securing to the backing in the desired spacedrelation with respect thereto the reinforcement at the sides of thespace between the rear edge of the spacing device and the cementitiousmaterial previously applied, and applying cementitious material to thereinforcement and backing to bring it substantially up to the rear edgeof the spacing device not only in the region behind said spacer, butalso in the space at the sides of this region occupied by thereinforcement.

7. The method of lining a ditch with cementitious material or the likecontaining Wire mesh reinforcement, which includes placing wire mesh inthe ditch and stretching it lengthwise of the ditch, placing between thewire mesh and the bottom of the ditch a supporting spacer shaped inaccordwire mesh reinforcement, which includes placing wire mesh in theditch and stretching it along the same, placing between the wire meshand the bottom of the ditch a supporting spacer shaped in accordancewith the bottom of the ditch and of desired thickness, securing the Wiremesh at the rear of the spacer in desired relation with respect to theinner surface of the ditch, applying the cementitious material to thesides and bottom of the ditch until the cementitious material is againbrought up the rear edge of the spacer, and moving the spacer to anothermaterlal previously deposited.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

WILLIS LERICHE. IRA V. BEASLEY.

position in advance of the cementitious

